By Staff Reporter |
Data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reveals that assault constitutes the crime most commonly committed in Arizona.
An analysis of the latest data available on the Law Enforcement Agency Reported Crime Analysis Tool (LEARCAT), a Bureau of Justice Statistics database, found nearly 38,700 incidents of simple assault in 2024. This data is limited to the state’s participating law enforcement agencies.
Simple assault refers to both assaults and attempted assaults where the perpetrator didn’t use a weapon or where the victim didn’t sustain a serious or aggravated injury. This classification includes stalking, intimidation, coercion, and hazing, per the FBI.
The research, conducted by the Injury Lawyer Team, estimated that simple assaults occurred about once every 14 minutes in the state.
The second-most common crime reported in Arizona was shoplifting (30,800 incidents), followed by destruction, damage, or vandalism of property (27,500 incidents); drug equipment violations (27,400 incidents); all other larceny (21,100 incidents); drug or narcotic violations (21,000 incidents); motor vehicle theft (10,500 incidents); aggravated assault (10,100 incidents); theft from a motor vehicle (10,100 incidents); and burglary and breaking and entering (9,700 incidents).
Arizona experiencing simple assault as its most common crime was consistent with the national trend. In 2024, there were over two million recorded incidents of simple assault nationwide. 28 states reported simple assault as their most common crime.
Preliminary data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program reflected a decline in violent crime in 2025 so steep that it could prove historical, per FBI Director Kash Patel. Overall, violent crime was predicted to have decreased by an estimated 9%.
“The 2025 crime data in this report shows the single largest decrease in violent crime and murder since 1937 – as well as huge decreases across the board in terms of aggravated assault, rape, and robbery,” said Patel. “Over the last 14 months, we made major transformations at the FBI, and these results show those changes are working. This FBI will continue to stack these wins for the American people under President Trump and always Back the Blue every step of the way.”
Murder and non-negligent manslaughter decreased by an estimated 18%; rape decreased by an estimated 7%; robbery decreased by an estimated 18%; and aggravated assault decreased by an estimated 7%.
The program received data from more than 17,000 agencies representing 96% of the population (in 2024, the program relied on data from nearly 16,700 agencies).
Part of this preliminary steep decline came from data submitted by the Phoenix Police Department. Phoenix police reflected a decline in violent crime, including homicide, over the last few years.
2025 had 1,000-plus fewer incidents of violent crime reported than 2024.
Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) data agrees with this pattern of decline in violent crimes reflected by Phoenix police. AZDPS reported that violent crime — more than 27,100 cases with 44% clearance rate — declined by more than 13% compared to 2024.
AZDPS data also reflected an overall decline in violent crime over the past five years.
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